New York Times Bestselling Author Ashley Elston Presents First Lie Wins

“Buckle up. First Lie Wins features some of the best cat-and-mouse suspense I’ve read in years, while serving up plenty of heart along this wild ride. I’m still breathless.”

—Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Step Too Far

Now available in paperback, Ashley Elston’s sharp, stylish, and deliciously twisty thriller, FIRST LIE WINS (Penguin Books; On Sale: 1/28/25), is one of the most talked-about books in recent memory. Rave reviews have called it “a nail-biter” (People), “fun and unpredictable” (Atlanta Journal-Constitution), and “a thrill ride of twists” (New York Post). A Reese’s Book Club pick and instant New York Times bestseller, FIRST LIE WINS has sold more than one million copies in less than a year. It was also a Reader’s Digest Book Club pick, a Book of the Month selection, and on the ABA’s IndieNext list, and is being adapted for Netflix by Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Krista Vernoff and Oscar winner Octavia Spencer.

A high-stakes suspense ride from start to finish, the novel follows an enigmatic young woman named Evie Porter… except Evie Porter doesn’t exist. Everything about her identity—her look, her past, the articles that come up when you search her name online—is staged by her employer, Mr. Smith. And while he knows her real name, she doesn’t know his. All she knows is the job – and right now the job is to get close to Ryan Sumner.

Evie can’t afford to make any mistakes, especially after what happened last time, but this job is different from the start. Ryan is getting under her skin – so much so that she’s starting to envision a different life for herself. Until the one thing she’s worked her entire life to keep clean—her real identity, the one she’d hoped to return to someday—walks right into town. Evie must stay one step ahead of her past while making sure there’s still a future in front of her. The stakes couldn’t be higher… but luckily, she’s always been up for a challenge.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ashley Elston worked for many years as a wedding photographer before turning her hand to writing. She lives in Louisiana with her husband and three sons. Elston has written six young adult novels; First Liew Wins is her adult debut.

Host or Publisher Rainy Day Books